New York Jets Rumors: Kellen Winslow Jr., more blitzing?
The New York Jets decided to work out veteran tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. at minicamps, and he performed so well that Rex Ryan and the Jets decided to sign Winslow up. The Jets could be strong at tight end even without Dustin Keller, but that depends on Winslow’s health. He’s almost always injured, and his knees have been chronically bothering him. He briefly played for the New England Patriots last season, but he was promptly cut due to a mutual agreement. Part of it is likely because Winslow felt too much pain, and hopefully his knees are feeling better in the future; it’s a shame to see Winslow always hurt.
September 23, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; New England Patriots tight end Kellen Winslow (82) prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M
When healthy, Winslow is an effective tight end, and he and Jeff Cumberland could be a solid duo for the New York Jets next season. However, an opposing executive told ESPN New York’s Rich Cimini that Winslow could be the next David Garrard situation for the Jets, “I think it’s a lot like [David] Garrard. He’ll be fine in a workout, moving and running, but taking a hit, the grind of training camp and a full, 16-game season will be the litmus tests. … I’d watch him closely to see if they manage his reps and practice time.”
That definitely is something to watch, and it is a great nugget that Cimini provides for us. Winslow is a productive player when healthy, but he is rarely healthy. Also, look at how quickly he left the Patriots and the fact that he wanted to leave. Will the grind in Jets training camp be too much for Winslow? Does he still want it? We shall see, and that is one of the pressing questions for the Jets regarding the Winslow situation. The other is, obviously, health.
New York Jets linebacker David Harris believes that the Jets will blitz more often next season, and this is probably something they should do anyway. Rex Ryan will have more control over the defense again, and we all know how blitz happy he is. The Jets blitzed far less often in 2012 than they usually do, and I would expect that to change in 2013.
Harris said to Cimini, “We’re going to do a lot of blitzing and getting after people. There should be a different brand of football than you were used to seeing the last couple of years.”
It sounds like Harris wants the Jets to blitz more, and this is something that would benefit the Jets.